Zurich · Month comparison

December vs September

September ranks #1 overall vs December at #7. The undersold sweet spot — warm enough for the lake, dry enough for the alps, prices drop from August.

Swarovski Christmas tree in Zurich Hauptbahnhof

December

#7 of 12 months

Strong option

Hauptbahnhof Christmas market — Swarovski tree and the most beautiful market in Switzerland.

  • ↑Hauptbahnhof Wienachtsmarkt — 11m Swarovski crystal Christmas tree, often called the country's best
  • ↑Singing Christmas Tree on Werdmühleplatz — choirs perform from a tiered tree daily
Lake Zurich and Alps in clear September light

September

#1 of 12 months

Best match

The undersold sweet spot — warm enough for the lake, dry enough for the alps, prices drop from August.

  • ↑20°C and lake still at 20°C through early September — last realistic swim window
  • ↑Knabenschiessen folk festival (2nd weekend) on Albisgüetli — fairground and shooting tradition
FactorDecemberSeptember
Weather score
4
9
Value score
4
5
Crowd score
6
5
Events score
10
7
Atmosphere
10
10
Avg high temp4°C20°C
Monthly rain70mm80mm
Daily sunshine2hrs7hrs

December trade-offs

  • ↓Christmas-week hotel rates spike — CHF 500+ for 4-star in the Altstadt
  • ↓4°C high and damp; lake-side walks feel raw rather than crisp

September trade-offs

  • ↓Daylight contracting — by month end down to 12 hours
  • ↓Lake temperature drops fast in the last week — pack a wetsuit if swimming end-Sep
See all 12 months for Zurich →December in detail →September in detail →
Scores compare months within Zurich. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →